What’s Your Story?

Commercial real estate is at Fort Worth’s front door and will be critical to telling the city’s story as we try to capture higher and better relocations and development.

What do all these words describe? Most of us would agree they describe some part of Fort Worth – and we love to debate, discuss and dialogue on them. What do we want to be known for, and how do we want to attract people to Fort Worth?

We are, after all, two-thirds of DFW.

And we love that we are the fastest growing city in America. Did you know we are the 16th largest city in the United States?

Did you also know most people outside of Fort Worth think we are about the 44th largest city?

Given all the new plans we have – the City of Fort Worth’s Economic Development Plan, the Chamber of Commerce’s new strategic plan and the plan from the visitors bureau now known as Visit Fort Worth – it is time to pull our resources together. We need a new strategy and direction to make sure all the things we love about Fort Worth continue to grow and prosper. No one wants to become a bedroom community of Frisco.

We need to be able to tell our story as we grow our small businesses and our big-thinking entrepreneurs, look to bring in new Fortune 1000 companies to Fort Worth, strive to create a new medical innovation district complete with our own medical school, work to improve our public schools and impact our economic development, and think about robust and innovative transit solutions.

What are the words that describe who we are? Those words are important – they tell the story of our past, one of which we are inherently proud. We love the legacy given to us by Amon Carter, the Swift and Armour plant, Van Cliburn and Camp Bowie.

But we also need to identify the words of the future. Who are the people most likely to come to Fort Worth – to visit or to live? What’s our story when it comes to the arts, to our culture and heritage, to the rodeo, to innovation? There are great things happening here, and it’s time to tell the story.

And that is what we are working on!

Over the next few months, we will be reaching to folks far and wide who have a vested interest in telling the story of Fort Worth. We will be gathering thoughts and ideas to create a cohesive story that embraces all our residents and talks about this amazing place we call home.

Think about your story. Think about the words and the ideas that keep our legendary heritage alive but embraces the progressive future we want to find for our children and their children. Write it down and get ready to share it. We are looking to hear from you!

Karen Vermaire Fox is executive director of the Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth, which writes this column for each issue of FW Inc.